Little by little, I’m crossing tasks off of our basement to-do list. Most recently, I had a new sconce installed in our stairwell. I actually installed a new one myself a few years ago, but the glass bulb shattered when we were moving some wood down the stairs (not fun) and we never replaced it!

Our electrician has been here working on adding electrical to the basement bathroom and he offered to install the new one. It was one task off of my to-do list, so I eagerly said “Yes”! However, I will say that swapping out a light fixture is an easy DIY project that anyone can do. You can follow my step-by-step tutorial for that right here.

Our New Basement Sconce

We don’t have any other lighting in this stairwell, so it was important for me to find a sconce that emits enough light. Our old one had a clear glass shade and it always looked dusty, so this time around I went for the white globe. I’m happy I made that call!

I’ve been eyeing this sconce for some time now and pounced when I saw a sale at Pottery Barn, right around Christmas time. It’s been sitting in our storage room ever since, just waiting for me to have a free moment to actually install it.

As you know, I’m all about mixing metals in a home, and in the basement, we have a black and brass color scheme going on. The basement bathroom will soon feature these metals once everything is finished. (We’re slowly getting there!)

I think this brass sconce really pops against the “Greige” walls and I’m excited to make it look even better once I get started on my gallery wall down here. My plan is to use a mixture of frames – gold, black, and wood – to create a floor-to-ceiling gallery going down the stairs. It will be a fun way to welcome everyone to the basement!

Stairwell Lighting Options

Here are some other stairwell lighting options I considered as I was shopping for the perfect sconce for our basement. These come in at a variety of different price points and might work for your space.

1. Plug-In Sconce $349 // 2. Blair Wall Sconce $479 // 3. Howe Tube Wall Sconce $319// 4. Ball Wall Sconce $499 // 5. Two Light Globes $260 // 6. Fallon Wall Sconce $198 // 7. Reese Metal Sconce $129 // 8. Brass Cylinder $118 // 9. Karissa Candle Wall Sconce $186 // 10. Satilla Armed Sconce $108 // 11. Black & Gold Farmhouse $139 // 12. Sculptural Flat Bar $99 // 13. Mid-Century Clear Globe $95 // 14. Tapered Spike Sconce $64 // 15. Black Wall Sconce $50

Stairwell – Sources

Wall Color: Clare’s “Greige” in Eggshell // Railing Color: Benjamin Moore’s “Simply White” in semi-gloss // Sconce // Carpet: Dreamweaver in the color “Gold Rush”

What’s Next?

I’m still knee-deep in our basement bathroom project, but once that’s finished, I want to get started on this gallery wall! I think it will be a fun project to work on!

More Lighting Resources

• The Dos & Don’ts For Lighting
• Bedside Sconce Round-Up
• How to Add a Sconce Without Electrical
• How to Install a Light Fixture
• Outdoor Lighting Round-Up
• Budget-Friendly Lighting Round-Up